LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has vowed to take legal action against players who quit the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the eleventh hour to join the Indian Premier League (IPL).
PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi on Sunday confirmed the board’s stance, following the recent high-profile defection.
Sri Lankan all-rounder Dasun Shanaka has become the second player to opt out of his contract with Lahore Qalandars to replace the injured Sam Curran at Rajasthan Royals in the IPL.
Australian all-rounder Daniel Sams has replaced Shanaka in the Callanders squad. Earlier, Zimbabwean pacer Blessing Musharrafani also quit the PSL after signing with IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).
Naqvi said action will be taken against those players as per rules. “There was a case last year and the same will happen this time.”
He was referring to South Africa’s Corbin Bosch, who was picked as a diamond for Peshawar Zalmi in the previous PSL edition before making a late switch to play for Mumbai Indians in the IPL.
Bosh was banned from the PSL for one year.
Naqvi dismissed the idea that overlapping schedules were the root cause of the problem: “The clash with IPL is not a problem because if the players go there, we get the best players here. We cannot postpone the PSL because we don’t have another window throughout the year.”
Several players, including Kudkesh Moti, Jake Fraser-McQuirg, Otneil Bartman and Spencer Johnson, have opted out of the upcoming PSL season, although most have cited personal reasons for their decisions.
PSL is scheduled to start on March 26, two days before the start of IPL in India. In a separate announcement on Sunday, Naqvi confirmed that this year’s matches will be held behind closed doors due to the oil crisis linked to the ongoing conflict in West Asia.
The number of host venues has also been reduced from the original six to two: Lahore and Karachi.